. . . and Iowa’s First In The Nation Status
As previously reported herein political blog and reporting site The Iowa Republican (TIR) has done solid original reporting on the developing scandal involving Republican State Senator Kent Sorenson. We have commented in their pages and have called for his resignation there and now here unless he can promptly produce exculpatory information. Delay hurts him and the Party.
In today’s TIR Kevin Hall summarizes their reporting about the matter and adds commentary including distress over the implications of the allegations about Sorenson regarding Iowa’s First in The Nation Status. We offered the following we think more complete perspective on that particular score:
Big Liberty pot meets –
Establishment cauldron.
Should we lose First-in-the-Nation status it will not be primarily because of Sorenson. After all, how did anything Sorenson is accused of effect the politics of the nomination process more than (former RPI Chairman) Matt Strawn’s early (and wrong) call (for Romney after the caucuses) or the lack of -proportional rules statewide?
And in a “they are just as bad ‘defense'” of Iowa, may I suggest that Sorenson’s “activities” are not unique to a caucus state — political treachery, even money under the table if that is definitively what happened. On that score, what state can attest to having cleaner politicians? But granted it will certainly be grist for the complaint mill about Iowa.
But who did the manipulative, the overwrought, the prejudiced, take their internecine warfare lead from? The Establishment, which includes big-government conservatives.
I mentioned Strawn who had the good judgment to resign in deference to the integrity of the caucus system. I think his actions resulted from haste to announce something conclusive, because the media demanded it. But the better p.r. advice would have been to milk the suspense and demonstrate due diligence in the process. But the story line of a well connected political personage manipulating the PR for the benefit of the establishment candidate Romney is what went out.
And then you have the machinations in Iowa’s third largest county,* furthering the message to Iowa’s philosophical camps, and the nation, that the caucus system is manipulable by willful elements. The regrettable lesson learned by Big Liberty from the Establishment: ‘do it to them because they have and will do it to you.”
Manipulation of “rules” here allowed the Nominations Committee in Scott County, you can’t make this stuff up folks, chaired by Romney State Chairman Brian Kennedy, who was appointed by Chairwoman Judy Davidson, to give Ron Paul delegates to District (and State conventions) about one half of what their caucus night strength should reflect. The utter disregard for appearances and unity is recounted at veritaspac.com.
* As per Matt Strawn, the purported “jewell” of Iowa’s Republican county organizations.
R Mall
